There's no escaping Carnage and Knull. Between the epic crossover Absolute Carnage and Knull dropping into more of Marvel's cosmic titles, both characters are getting massive pushes, and that is spurring prices for two already hot keys.

Marvel is firing on all cylinders as we transition from summer to fall. Immortal Hulk is still going strong, Venom's current series continues to hold its own and build the symbiote mythos, and Jonathan Hickman's House of X and Powers of X are must-reads. (Need more on the Hickman X-Men era? Check out "The Powers of X Market.") Now, for the first time in years, Marvel has given readers a crossover event worth collecting: Absolute Carnage.

CARNAGE

For months, Carnage has been garnering more and more exposure. First there was the news that Andy Serkis was taking the directorial reigns of Sony's Venom sequel, and we already knew that Woody Harrelson will be portraying Cletus Kasady. Then Donny Cates resurrected everyone's second-favorite symbiote. Considering the stellar job he has done in his Venom overhaul, giving him Carnage seemed like a sure thing. Thus far in Absolute Carnage, Cates has not disappointed.

Cates has introduced a new version of Carnage, one that reminds me of Pumpkinhead from the 1988 cult-classic movie. It's a resurrected Cletus infused with a touch of Knull's god powers. After being first seen in Web of Venom: Carnage Born #1, values for that comic are gradually rising with the current fair market value for a standard-cover 9.8 at $50.

 

Going back to what I wrote in "Are First Appearances the Only Issues Worth Investments Anymore?," the biggest key is Amazing Spider-Man #361, the first full appearance of Carnage. Overall, most grades for ASM #361 had been slightly down based on their 90-day averages, but the September sales are picking up the slack. This month, there have been 10 recorded sales of 9.8s on eBay, and eight of those brought between $395-$450. The 9.6 has seen a similar upward turn. After averaging under $170 for the past year, four copies have sold in the $190-$220 range since September 9.

 

 

 

 

KNULL

That brings us to Knull, God of the Symbiotes. While he only made his first full appearance in the spring of 2018, Knull has made serious waves in the comics. He earned a huge following when he tormented Eddie Brock and Miles Morales in the pages of Venom, rewriting the symbiotes' history in the process. Then he made an unexpected cameo in Silver Surfer Black #1, and that opened the door for him to step away from Venom and become a much broader cosmic threat.

Between his link to Absolute Carnage and his appearances outside the Venom-verse, Knull is invading the entire Marvel Universe. Prices for his debut are reflecting this added attention, too.

Last year, a 9.8 Venom #3 in the standard cover averaged a respectable $79. Over the past 90 days, that has ballooned to a whopping $119. So far this month, it has sold below $100 only once, and it's brought as much as $140. The third printing at a 9.8 has kept pace, and it has a 90-day average of $124.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sooner or later, symbiote fatigue will set in, and the Carnage and Knull keys will settle down. However, I don't anticipate that happening anytime soon as fans are still enamored with both characters. Of course, when it comes to Carnage, his key issues will always be valuable, and as soon as ASM #361 reaches a plateau, we'll get new images and a trailer for Venom 2, and his first appearance will spike all over again.

 

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